Mark Henry getting deserved spotlight at UFC Atlantic City

When the UFC invades Atlantic City this Saturday, the main and co-main event fights are loaded with some of the top talent in the lightweight and featherweight divisions, respectively. Atlantic City won’t just be a showcase for some big names like Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson, Edson Barboza, and Kevin Lee, it’ll also give a chance to bring coach Mark Henry into the much deserved spotlight.

Henry, the longtime coach of Edgar will also be coaching Barboza and Corey Anderson on Saturday night, with the stakes varying for each fighter. To truly appreciate and understand who Henry is and what he’s all about, you must know that he looks at his fighters as family, and that bond can go further than many would expect. Henry has never been in the game to steal shine away from his fighters and is always the first one to embrace them with a hug or carrying them on his shoulders following a fight.

His lessons have made Edgar and Eddie Alvarez champions at different times in their career, and Barboza is considered one of the greatest strikes in the history of his division. While both the main and co-main event have very high stipulations for their divisions,

In the main event, Barboza will be looking to rebound from his UFC 219 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov and with a highlight reel finish, Barboza can find himself back in the conversation at the top of his division. It’s a classic striker (Barboza) vs wrestler (Lee) matchup in the main event, with both fighters looking to make a statement as both are coming off a loss.

In the co-main event it’s a rematch from four years ago as Frankie Edgar takes on Cub Swanson. Both fighters are respectively coming off a loss to top contender Brian Ortega, and it was the first time Edgar had been finished in his career. While both fighters will be looking to bounce back from their loss, Edgar will look to silence doubters who say he’s returning too soon, and with a finish can quickly jump back into the title picture later this year.

Before those two fights take place, Corey Anderson will also look to bounce back from his loss to Ovince Saint Preux and get back in the win column in the light heavyweight division. With a division very wide open, if Anderson is able to get a win over Patrick Cummins who is currently on a two-fight win streak. Just like Edgar and Barboza, a finish for Anderson could lead to a jump not only inside the top 10 light heavyweight rankings, but also in a place that could give him a very intriguing matchup in the future.

He may not want the spotlight and he definitely never asks for it, but in his backyard of Atlantic City, with three different fighters all looking to bounce back and facing varying circumstances, there’s no better time for Mark Henry to get the spotlight he deserves.

Mike Pendleton

Mike Pendleton is a former staff member of FanSided MMA and former host of On The Mic, a MMA radio show broadcasted on ChicagoLandSportsRadio.com
Currently a writer for MyMMANews and Combat Press, Joining the sport of mixed martial arts later than most, Mike enjoys talking to local fighters in the Chicagoland area, but also telling fight stories from all aspects.
Follow me on Twitter: @MP2310